Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Guilt Game
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://ljsellers.com/
CITY: Eugene
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | no2013008383 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/no2013008383 |
| HEADING: | Sellers, L. J. |
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| 001 | 9181903 |
| 005 | 20130327163650.0 |
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| 010 | __ |a no2013008383 |
| 035 | __ |a (OCoLC)oca09389763 |
| 040 | __ |a MiFliG |b eng |e rda |c MiFliG |d DLC |
| 053 | _0 |a PS3619.E466 |
| 100 | 1_ |a Sellers, L. J. |
| 670 | __ |a The baby thief, 2010: |b t.p. (L.J. Sellers) |
| 670 | __ |a Rules of crime, 2012: |b t.p. (L.J. Sellers) |
| 670 | __ |a Amazon.com 03-08-2013: |b (L.J. Sellers; award-winning journalist and the author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series: THE SEX CLUB, SECRETS TO DIE FOR, THRILLED TO DEATH, PASSIONS OF THE DEAD, DYING FOR JUSTICE, LIARS, CHEATERS & THIEVES and RULES OF CRIME. Her novels have been highly praised by Mystery Scene, Crimespree, and Spinetingler magazines, and the Detective Jackson series is the highest-rated crime fiction on Amazon. L.J. also has three standalone thrillers: THE BABY THIEF, THE GAUNTLET ASSASSIN, and THE LETHAL EFFECT. When not plotting murders, she enjoys performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences) |
| 953 | __ |b rg15 |
PERSONAL
Born in Santa Rosa, CA; married; children.
EDUCATION:Graduated from the University of Oregon.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, editor, and journalist. Arizona Senior World, former reporter; Pharmaceutical Executive magazine, former editorial staff.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Mystery writer L.J. Sellers began her career as a journalist before publishing her first novel, The Sex Club in 2007. The book serves as the first installment of the “Detective Wade Jackson” series, and Sellers has since gone on to author the “Agent Jamie Dallas” series and the “Extractor” series. In fact, Sellers has published roughly two novels a year since her 2007 debut. She shared her writing process in an online Indie View interview with Simon Royle, explaining: “I do extensive plotting before I start writing the story, so I know all the broad strokes, who the killer is, and roughly how the story will end. I keep adding to the outline as I write and as ideas come to me. The outline is just a guideline, and I make changes as I go along if I get better ideas. I also create timelines because my stories take place in about a week and I want to be realistic about what can happen in the course of a day.” The author added: “I also have character files and note/problem files that I work with as I craft the story. At fifty pages, I stop and clean up what I have, then send it out to three or four beta readers for feedback. I do very little editing in the first draft. The idea is to get the story down as it comes to me. In the next draft, I add detail, do fact checking, and parse words.”
The Sex Club
The title of The Sex Club refers to a club of fourteen-year-old children who have publicly vowed to be abstinent; yet, in private, all of them are sexually active. A few have come into the Planned Parenthood with STDs, and nurse Kera Kollmorgan does her best to treat them without judgement. After sending yet another young girl home after her diagnosis, a pipe bomb explodes in the office. Kera survives, though several patients are injured. The next day, the girl Kera treated before the bombing is found dead in a dumpster. Enter detective Wade Jackson, who is sent to investigate the homicide. Jackson has a fourteen-year-old daughter himself, so the case hits close to home. The detective later learns that his daughter was friends with the victim, while Kera learns that antiabortionist who bombed the clinic is still targeting her.
Praising The Sex Club in her Reviewer’s Bookwatch assessment, Gloria Feit announced that the novel is “a well-plotted, suspenseful tale with two very human and engaging protagonists, with a pulse-pounding ending.” An online Mysterious Reviews correspondent was more ambivalent, asserting that “the good-vs-evil, right-vs-wrong aspect of the story is overdone and overwrought.” Despite this, the correspondent went on to conclude that “this series clearly has potential with Sellers’ skills as a writer and a credible character in Wade Jackson.” Offering more strident applause on the Aust Crime Fiction Website, a critic stated that “the reader watches as, under pressure and under threat, Kera and Jackson must resolve everything . . . And they must do all of that in time to stop any further bombings or murders. It’s a well developed methodology, and the storytelling makes the interweaving of these threads believable, complicated but not complex, and engaging.”
Rules of Crime
Detective Wade Jackson appears again in Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, Passions of the Dead, Dying for Justice, Liars, Cheaters, and Thieves, and Rules of Crime. In the latter installment, Jackson’s ex-wife, Renee, has been kidnapped. The detective learns that a ransom note has been texted to Renee’s new fiance, and the kidnapers are asking for $100,000. The case is assigned to the FBI and agent Carla River agrees to let Jackson join her task force despite protocol. River and Jackson investigate possible suspects, as well as Renee’s last known whereabouts, but failing that, they’ll have to stage a payoff in order to rescue her. In the meantime, Sergeant Lara Evans picks up the slack at Jackson’s usual post, and she investigates the severe beating of a college student which turns out to be the result of sorority hazing. After she wraps up her case, Evans joins River and Jackson, and her fresh eyes prove to be exactly what they need to rescue Renee.
A Publishers Weekly critic was ambivalent about the book, noting that “a shocking conclusion makes up in part for a plodding plot and a surfeit of characters.” A far more positive assessment was offered in Reviewer’s Bookwatch, and a columnist announced that “the book provides the excellent character development for which this author has been highly praised.” The columnist also declared that Rules of Crime “is terrific summer reading.” A Mysterious Reviews contributor was also impressed, remarking that “Rules of Crime is an exciting police procedural-style thriller, with a strong cast of characters and a well developed, suspenseful storyline.”
Guilt Game
Sellers’s “Extractor” series, begins with Guilt Game, and continues with Broken Boys and The Other. The series features former CIA agent Roxanne MacFarlane, a high-functioning investigator who lands somewhere on the autism spectrum. When Guilt Game begins, MacFarlane is working as an extractor, removing her clients’ relatives and loves ones from abusive situations. The protagonist has agreed to rescue Emma Carson from the Sister Love cult, and she’s also decided to begin undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to help manage her autism. As MacFarlane adjusts to the effects of the TMS, she learns all that she can about Sister Love, which preys on young women who are suffering from depression and PTSD. As the case deepens, MacFarlane learns that a serial killer is targeting victims with the same profile, and Emma could be be next. Soon, the protagonist turns to her retired cop stepfather, and current cop boyfriend for backup.
Guilt Game largely fared well with critics, and Booklist correspondent Karen Keefe found that the “unusual protagonist and plenty of action drive appeal here.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer offered additional applause, commenting that the story is “briskly paced,” while “the shocking ending packs a real punch.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 1, 2017, Karen Keefe, review of Guilt Game.
Publishers Weekly, December 24, 2012, review of Rules of Crime; January 2, 2012, review of The Arranger; November 9, 2015, review of Point of Control; April 17, 2017, review of Guilt Game.
Reviewer’s Bookwatch, April, 2008, Gloria Feit, review of The Sex Club; July, 2013, review of Rules of Crime.
ONLINE
Aust Crime Fiction, http://www.austcrimefiction.org/ (June 16, 2011), review of The Sex Club.
Big Thrill, http://www.thebigthrill.org/ (August 9, 2010), review of Thrilled to Death; (September 1, 2011), review of The Arranger; (February 28, 2013), review of Rules of Crime; (September 30, 2013), review of Crimes of Memory; (April 26, 2014), review of The Target; (March 31, 2015), review of Wrongful Death; (January 31, 2016), review of Point of Control; (May 31, 2017), review of Guilt Game.
Indie View, http://www.theindieview.com/ (November 27, 2010), Simon Royle, author interview.
Killer Thrillers, http://www.killer-thrillers.com/ (January 18, 2018), reviews of The Gauntlet Assassin, The Baby Thief, Secrets to Die For, and Liars, Cheaters & Thieves.
L.J. Sellers Website, https://ljsellers.com/ (January 21, 2017).
Mysterious Reviews, http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/ (January 18, 2018), reviews of The Sex Club, Rules of Crime, and Deadly Bonds.
Mystery Scene, https://www.mysteryscenemag.com/ (January 18, 2018), review of The Gauntlet Assassin.
Portland Book Review, http://portlandbookreview.com/ (January 8, 2015), review of Deadly Bonds.
Story Circle Book Reviews, http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/ (July 1, 2010), review of Thrilled to Death.
LJSellers_med
L.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series—a four-time winner of the Readers Favorite Awards. She also pens the high-octane Agent Dallas series and provocative standalone thrillers. Her 19 novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and she’s one of the highest-rated crime fiction authors on Amazon.
L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where many of her novels are set, and she’s an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, and zip-lining. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
Connect with me here:
Facebook, Facebook Author page, Jackson Junkies & Dallas Diehards FB page
Twitter
Google+
Goodreads
LibraryThing
Long Bio
me_sibs_cropI was born in Santa Rosa, California—the third of six kids—but I’ve spent most of my life in Oregon. I grew up in Cave Junction, a small town in Southern Oregon. The day I turned 18, I packed my VW bug and moved to Eugene. Five years later, I graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in journalism.
I’ve always loved to write. I was one of those nerdy kids in school who liked to write reports—about Peru, ocean life, pollution, whatever—I loved researching and writing about everything. I also wrote some fiction as a kid and some short stories in college, but never took it seriously then.
After graduating, I moved to Phoenix (needing a dose of sunshine). The country was in recession too, and I knew people in Eugene with journalism degrees who were flipping burgers, so I had to leave to find work in my field. My first career position was with Arizona Senior World, and I loved it. My favorite assignments were the people profiles—old people doing amazing things. (I hope to be one of those people in 40 years or so). I’ve also written several profiles for Oregon Quarterly as a freelancer.
me-travis-closeupMy stay in Phoenix was fairly short. I got married and had a baby, then felt compelled to move back to Eugene, Oregon where my family was. I’ve been here since, raising all kinds of kids and working full time, first as a food server, then as an writer/editor.
But one day long ago, I was reading a particularly bad novel and tossed it to the floor, thinking I could write a better story than that. I had never considered writing fiction until that moment, but I felt challenged to see if I could actually do it. On August 7, 1989, I sat down to write my first novel. I used a Commodore computer, and it took about three months. The story was called Personal Justice, and it was about a woman who tracks down the pedophile who murders her child. (Jeffrey Dahmer was in the news then.)
It wasn’t a great story (because it lacked complexity) but I discovered I loved writing novels. I got absolutely hooked on the process and immediately started another. When I finished it, I sent the first three chapters to an agent, Al Zuckerman, president of Writers House. (What audacity!) Three months later he called me and said he couldn’t sell that story but that I had talent and that I should send him an outline of what I was working on then. And incredible moment of validation. He eventually represented that book (now The Baby Thief), but didn’t manage to sell it.
Still, his encouragement and faith is why I never gave up submitting my work, even though it took nearly 20 years to break through. (Lots of agents, novels, screenplays, close calls, and bad publishing experiences along the way.)
Meanwhile, I landed an editorial job at Pharmaceutical Executive magazine, where I learned more about drugs than I ever thought I would. It was a great job, and I learned to be an editor (as well as a writer). After seven years, they closed the Eugene office. While I looked for a new job, I wrote The Sex Club, the first in the Detective Jackson series. me-at-deskI feel very passionately about the subject matter, so it was a story I had to write, even knowing that it might never be published. At the time, I wasn’t sure if the Jackson character would end up being a series, but I made him likable, so I could bring him back if needed.
Then I spent two and a half years with an educational publisher. During that time, my job used up all my mental energy, and I didn’t write any new fiction. I discovered that I’m not really happy if I’m not writing a new story. But during that time, I self-published The Sex Club, which earned great reviews and reader support.
I was laid off again in March of 2008, one of the early casualties of the recession, and decided to make the most of the situation. I expanded my freelancing efforts, committed to putting my fiction career first, and finished writing Secrets to Die For, the second story featuring Detective Jackson. In October 2010, with four Jackson books and two standalones on the market, I quit freelancing to write full-time. In May 2012, Thomas & Mercer bought all nine of my backlist titles and two frontlist Jackson books. I now have eleven Jackson novels, five standalones, and three Agent Dallas stories featuring a young, female FBI agent who specializes in undercover work and infiltrating criminal groups.
Now I’m starting a new series about a private investigator who specializes in extracting people from oppressive situations. I can’t wait to see how these turn out. And I’m actively pursuing movie and TV deals for my books. Every day I feel grateful that I love what I do!
Contact Me
Reader Praise
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Thrillers
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Local Writer L.J. Sellers Spotlights Eugene With Fictional Detective Series
EUGENE- Wade Jackson is a detective for the Eugene Police Department, Homicide Division, a good man who loves his family and his home town. He’s been through a divorce, a child in danger, and had to solve some of the worst crimes Eugene has ever seen… and he’s not even a real cop.
Local author L.J. Sellers made him up. “Jackson is a composite of the first two detectives I interviewed [when researching the novel], with a little of my husband plus some imagination thrown in.” Detective Wade Jackson has been in 5 novels now starting with The Sex Club, and the latest Dying for Justice just came out in March. All of the thrillers have received resounding reviews and Detective Jackson has gained quite a following both in the local community and around the world. “I originally considered setting the first book, The Sex Club, in Salem because it’s the capital. Then about halfway through, it occurred to me that the detective would make a great series character, and that it made more sense to write about Eugene, where I live. Why not?”
Seller’s fictional Eugene is not much different than the one we live in, an ex-logging town turned burgeoning meth-o-polis/backwoods San Francisco. We’ve seen violent crime increasing as our population and our problems grow out of control, meanwhile our government can’t even afford to pay someone to teach our kids. On the other hand these problems are not unique. The Emerald City is also a thriving community with heavily dedicated people that really do have our best interests in mind. “Local readers say my series is very reflective of Eugene. My protagonist, is aware of the escalating violence in Eugene and my series reflects that, with the last two books, Passions of the Dead and Dying for Justice, containing more violence than the first three.”
When it comes to character however, Detective Jackson defies the “Homicide Cop” norm. “I purposefully didn’t want Jackson to be the typical cop that you see in so much crime fiction: alcoholic, bitter, lonely, and dysfunctional. So I wrote about a stable, good-hearted family man who struggles with all the same things we do: divorce, financial troubles, and family issues.” Said Sellers, “Readers have responded very well to the character.”
L.J. Sellers was born in Santa Rosa, California, but moved to Oregon at a very early age, the third of six kids. Growing up in Cave Junction almost her entire life, Sellers was tired of the small town, and at 18 packed her VW Bug and drove North towards civilization. She graduated from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication with a degree in Journalism (same here!) and has been writing non-fiction since… but never gave any thought to writing fiction. “One day, I was reading a particularly bad novel and tossed it to the floor, thinking I could write a better story than that… On August 7, 1989, I sat down to write my first novel.”
Years later, after coutless sumissions, scripts, screenplays, stories, etc… LJ published the first Detective Jackson story, The Sex Club. “I feel very passionately about the subject matter, so it was a story I had to write, even knowing that it might never be published.” It was, and not only is she continuing to get published, Sellers is one of the many authors helping to reinvent the way we think about publishing.
It all started when the economy tanked. With both her and her husband being laid-off, the bills were piling up and freelancing was not cutting it. LJ had two book deals going for two stand-alone thrillers she’d already written, and her next follow-up Jackson novels were being published (by a publisher) to Kindle. The problem was, all of these were set to release in the near-future, all set up along an old-school publishing schedule. That wasn’t going to pay the mortgage, so Sellers gambled on herself, withdrew from her book deals and her publisher, and self-published all of her works on Amazon. What do you know it? Money actually began to come in. She was writing furiously, getting more Jackson novels online, cutting prices, and guest blogging to get the word out about her novels. It worked.
“In January of 2010, I had one book on Kindle and sold 31 copies. I had two print books on the market with a small publisher, and they weren’t selling much better. In December, I had six books on Kindle and sold over 10,000 copies.” She wrote earlier this year on a guest blog.
How did all of this start? Well in 1971, Project Gutenberg became a volunteer effort to digitize important works in order to encourage the future creation and distribution of eBooks. 30 years later the nation’s largest book chain has filed for bankruptcy due to the decline in popularity of the printed word. In July of last year (2010), Amazon.com reported that sales of ebooks for Kindle outnumbered the sales from hardcover books for the first time ever.
“The whole publishing industry is teetering on the edge of collapse, and the big presses will have to reinvent themselves if they want to stay in business. They may have to give up their expensive Manhattan offices and contract out more of their services. They’ll also have to start offering writers better royalties on digital books. Amazon pays indie authors 70 percent of the cover price, which authors set themselves,” Said Sellers. “Print books won’t disappear, but they will become more and more scarce, especially in fiction.”
In the meantime, authors like LJ Sellers and her Detective Jackson stories will only continue to see increased popularity online. “…I get emails every day from people who urge me to write faster so they can get their next dose of Jackson.”
Guilt Game
Karen Keefe
Booklist.
113.17 (May 1, 2017): p16. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Guilt Game. By L. J. Sellers. June 2017. 260p. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, paper, $15.95(9781477848395).
Former CIA agent Roxanne MacFarlane now works as an "extractor"--removing people from environments their families believe are dangerous. Her current case involves getting Emma Carson away from a group called Sister Love, a cult that recruits young women who are vulnerable due to guilt and suicidal thoughts. Rox relies on her stepfather, a retired cop, to provide backup, and her boyfriend, a Portland, Oregon, cop, to keep her posted on a serial killer who is also targeting young women. Some readers may be particularly intrigued by Rox's recent decision to get transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to mitigate some of the effects of her autism spectrum disorder. An unusual protagonist and plenty of action drive appeal here.--Karen Keefe
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Keefe, Karen. "Guilt Game." Booklist, 1 May 2017, p. 16. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495034873/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=f737a583. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495034873
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Guilt Game
Publishers Weekly.
264.16 (Apr. 17, 2017): p48. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Guilt Game
L.J. Sellers. Thomas & Mercer, $15.95 trade paper (238p) ISBN 978-1-4778-4839-5
Roxanne "Rox" MacFarlane, the heroine of this briskly paced series launch from Sellers (The Gender Experiment), used to work for the CIA as an extractor, someone who rescues people in peril. After her sister, Jolene, joined a cult and was killed by its leader, Rox quit the agency and started an investigation firm in Portland, Ore., specializing in extracting girls from cults. Jenny and Dale Carson haven't seen their 18-year-old daughter, Emma, in months. Emma joined Sister Love, a charity cult, after her best friend died in a car accident while Emma was at the wheel. Sister Love's founder, Deacon Blackstone, preys on girls plagued by guilt in order to extort money from their desperate families. Rox must find a way to extricate Emma and return her to the Carsons for deprogramming. Among the risks for Rox, who's autistic and undergoing an experimental treatment to increase her emotional intelligence, is being arrested for kidnapping. Meanwhile, her current romantic relationship with a police officer is showing signs of strain. The shocking ending packs a real punch. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Guilt Game." Publishers Weekly, 17 Apr. 2017, p. 48. PowerSearch, http://link.galegroup.com
/apps/doc/A490820783/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=90a9a219. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A490820783
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Point of Control
Publishers Weekly.
262.45 (Nov. 9, 2015): p38+. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Point of Control
L.J. Sellers. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, $15.95 trade paper (356p) ISBN 978-1503951-49-5
In this solid thriller, Sellers (The Gauntlet Assassin) combines a deeply flawed, yet sympathetic lead, with a clever and plausible plot device. Andra Bailey, an FBI agent assigned to the Critical Incident Response Group in Washington, D.C., has managed to be professionally successful, despite being a sociopath and a master manipulator unable to bond with others. Andra's boss believes that a missing scientist, Milton Thurgood, murdered another scientist, Nick Bowman, because he was jealous of Bowman's receipt of the International Metallurgy Award and didn't want Bowman, whose body was found in a remote area northeast of Silicon Valley, to develop "an extraction process for rare earth metals" before he did. Andra's boss dispatches her to San Jose, Calif., in search of Thurgood. Meanwhile, Shawn Crusher, a tech entrepreneur, schemes to dominate the market for dysprosium, a rare earth element vital to smart phones. Sellers keeps the pages turning, despite a contrived romantic subplot. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Point of Control." Publishers Weekly, 9 Nov. 2015, p. 38+. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A434792764/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=4a61f021. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A434792764
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The Arranger
Publishers Weekly.
259.1 (Jan. 2, 2012): p43. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2012 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text: The Arranger
L.J. Sellers. Spellbinder Press (www.ljsellers.com), $13.99 trade paper (264p) ISBN 978-0-9832138-5-7
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Set in 2023, this middling stand-alone futuristic thriller from Sellers (Dying for Justice) paints an America in which economic woes are wedded to reality television via the Gauntlet: a contest in which representatives from all 50 states compete for prize money by undertaking a series of physical and mental tasks. Before representing Oregon in the Gauntlet, cop-turned-paramedic Lara Evans treats a gunshot victim who turns out to be federal employment commissioner Thaddeus Morton. The mystery of his assailant's identity is back-burnered for much of the book, as Sellers alternates between Evans's quest for victory and the machinations of sleazy software engineer Paul Madsen, who hopes to parlay his access to personnel databases into bribes. Despite the book's fascinating premise, Sellers fails to deliver much originality. The contests in the Gauntlet aren't particularly imaginative; none of the plot twists are compelling; and readers will find maintaining interest an ongoing, and ultimately unsuccessful, struggle.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Arranger." Publishers Weekly, 2 Jan. 2012, p. 43. PowerSearch, http://link.galegroup.com
/apps/doc/A276436937/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=d4b23bed. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A276436937
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Rules of Crime
Publishers Weekly.
259.52 (Dec. 24, 2012): p36. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2012 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Rules of Crime
L.J. Sellers. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, $14.95 trade paper (302p) ISBN 978-1-61109-806-8
A shocking conclusion makes up in part for a plodding plot and a surfeit of characters in Sellers's seventh thriller featuring Eugene, Ore., homicide cop Wade Jackson (after 2012's Liars, Cheaters and Thieves). When Jackson's ex-wife, Renee, is kidnapped and her fiance receives a text message demanding $100,000 for her return, FBI agent Carla River takes charge of the case. Jackson, despite his relationship to the victim, joins the hastily assembled task force. River and her team seek to identify, and eliminate, possible suspects; botch an attempted payoff attempt; and try to trace Renee's movements prior to the kidnapping. A separate case involving the near- fatal beating of a college co-ed occupies Sgt. Lara Evans of the Violent Crime Unit in a case that points toward a sorority hazing gone bad. Evans, who joins the task force late, contributes an important insight that paves the way to a stunning final solution. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Rules of Crime." Publishers Weekly, 24 Dec. 2012, p. 36. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A313345068/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=6a6cc753. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A313345068
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Secrets to Die For
Gloria Feit
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(Dec. 2009): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2009 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Secrets to Die For
L. J. Sellers
Echelon Press
9055G Thamesmeade Rd., Laurel, MD 20723 9781590806548 $13.99 echelonpress.com
Detective Wade Jackson, of the Eugene, Oregon Police Department, plays a somewhat more prominent role in this newest novel by L. J. Sellers, while his girlfriend, R.N. Kera Kollmorgan, has a lesser one than in Ms. Sellers' prior book, The Sex Club. They each make terrific protagonists, equally altruistic and idealistic, despite their jobs.
When the dead body of Raina Hughes, a 20-year-old social worker, is found, suspicion immediately falls on the ex-con father of Josh Gorman, the eight-year-old boy she has been assigned to monitor in her volunteer position as a children's support advocate. The boy had just been placed back in the care of his parents, and Raina has been refused admittance to their home so she can confirm that all is well. She had soon thereafter been brutally attacked and raped, and Detective Jackson is certain that the boy's father is responsible. He suspects that there may be a connection between the murder and two recent rape cases in the area, but fails to find any connection among the victims.
Jackson, the father of a 14-year-old daughter and divorced from her substance-abusing mother, is particularly affected by the brutal attacks, all too easily envisioning his own daughter as a potential victim. He becomes convinced that the boy's father is responsible, and no effort is spared to try to find the evidence to prove it. Although it appears that there is a serial rapist on the loose, the author allows the merest hint that there may be more than one assailant at work here, just enough to keep the reader off balance. As well, just possibly, the ex-con may not be the rapist/murderer. The brutality of the attacks is escalating, and they are happening with greater frequency. When another young woman goes missing, Jackson becomes desperate to find the man behind it all. Jackson allows his fear for his daughter to distract him, as yet another cop finds his family situation lessening his concentration on the case as well, with nearly fatal consequences. Among other things, the book is about dysfunctional families and the efforts to cope with them, as well as about some other things, secrets that must come out if the case is to be
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resolved. When Jackson begins to suspect that Gorman may be innocent, he realizes that if Gorman wasn't the killer, then someone else out there was raping and beating women, and another girl may be next if he doesn't solve this case quickly.
A young woman journalist helps Jackson find the clues that give him the connection he seeks, and then it becomes a matter of time and the chase to see if he can find the answer in time to stop another brutal death. The suspense accelerates at a commensurate speed, and secrets abound, further frustrating Jackson's efforts. The conclusion is one that shouldn't surprise many, but manages to do so nonetheless. Leaving Jackson and the reader to ask, how on earth could things have come to this?
Gloria Feit Reviewer Feit, Gloria
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Feit, Gloria. "Secrets to Die For." Reviewer's Bookwatch, Dec. 2009. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A214459484/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=02b8c468. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A214459484
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The Sex Club
Gloria Feit
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(Apr. 2008): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2008 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
The Sex Club
L. J. Sellers
Spellbinder Press
P.O. Box 23904, Eugene, OR 97402 9780979518202 $8.50 www.spellbinderpress.com
"The Sex Club" is not the book one expects from the title, nor from the opening sentence, for that matter: "You can put your clothes back on, then we'll talk some more." The words are spoken by Kera Kollmorgan, a registered nurse at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Eugene, Oregon, to a young girl of perhaps 14 years of age, who has come for treatment of an STD. The only thing more startling to the reader than the fact that a middle school student is sexually active is that she is only one of a group of similar barely-teenaged kids, churchgoing members of a bible study group who have all ostensibly taken vows of celibacy, in the 'club.' Almost immediately after this encounter, a pipe bomb goes off, damaging the building and causing severe injuries to one patient. Things only get worse when the young girl's dead body is discovered the following day in a dumpster. And it appears that the bomber, dismayed that the clinic is still functioning, is not done with them, and Kera soon finds herself a target of the antiabortionist as well.
The dead girl had sent a personal e-mail to Kera shortly after her clinic visit and, when Kera is contacted by another young girl the next day near the school where the girls were both students, she "took that as a sign that both girls had wanted or needed something from her personally. On the surface, they had sought her advice. But had they also wanted her permission? Forgiveness? Maybe they didn't even know. But they had drawn her in, and now she felt compelled to follow through." The daughter of "hippies before it was popular to be hippies," she has always been committed to causes, spending five years in Rwanda before coming back home. She has lost a son to the war in Iraq, where her husband is now serving and where he has indicated he is going to stay--her dedication to her work and to the women who sought help at her clinic has become her whole life.
Handling the bombing case for the cops initially is Detective Wade Jackson, later assigned to the young girl's homicide. He is himself the single father of a fourteen-year-old girl who had been a friend of the dead girl, separated from his alcoholic wife, with obvious conflicts on the case. The
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investigation turns out to have political implications, further complicating his job.
The author, a resident of Eugene, Oregon and, among other things, a political activist [no surprise there], has written a well-plotted, suspenseful tale with two very human and engaging protagonists, with a pulse-pounding ending. It would appear that a second book featuring Detective Jackson is on the horizon, and it should be another winner.
Feit, Gloria
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Feit, Gloria. "The Sex Club." Reviewer's Bookwatch, Apr. 2008. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A177817765/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=39197980. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A177817765
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Wrongful Death
Gloria Feit
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(Nov. 2015): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2015 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Wrongful Death
L.J. Sellers
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
276 Fifth Ave., NYC 10001
9781477822180, $15.95, Paperback, 316 pp, www.amazon.com/thomasandmercer
The newest entry in the Detective Jackson series opens in the early morning hours on Friday, November 21st, the week before Thanksgiving, with the weather unseasonably cold and intermittent snow falling in Eugene, Oregon, and moves swiftly by its end to Thanksgiving eve. The pages in between that brief time span are filled with a police investigation of not one, but several deaths and other assorted crimes, including sexual assault and blackmail. The first sentence of the book is undeniably eye-catching: "Your daughter is a whore." This is a text message received by the mother of a young girl, to which is attached a video displaying an assault on their apparently unconscious daughter, together with a blackmail threat.
The scene soon changes to a homeless camp in town, where Police Officer Danny Thompson is doing what he does annually as the temperatures drop: giving out donated jackets, blankets and other items donated throughout the year to the town's growing homeless population, which the most recent survey had put at nearly 1,800. Shockingly, very shortly afterwards Officer Thompson is stabbed to death. The case is assigned to Detective Wade Jackson of the Violent Crimes unit. He is unable to work the case with his partner of 13 years, Rob Schakowski ["Schak" to all], as the latter was the dead police officer's cousin, as close as if they were brothers. Things get more complicated when the body of an apparently homeless man is found in the area, an apparent suicide, and the first assumption is that he is the killer. Schak soon has his own investigation under way when the body of a girl who has committed suicide is discovered in her bedroom by her parents; she is the young woman whose parents were being blackmailed by the pervert who had e-mailed the sex video. The tension builds as the sexual assaults seem to be escalating.
The other cops in the unit who readers know from past series entries are here as well, Jackson's
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mentee, Lara Evans; Michael Quince; and their boss, Sgt. Denise Lammers, as well as Sophie Speranza, a reporter on the local newspaper, now in fear of losing her job in that economically- threatened industry. The two investigations are the main story lines of this suspenseful, page- turning novel, although the always interesting private lives of Jackson and Schak, Sophie and Lara, are on full display here as well. A terrific addition to the series, with a shocking resolution, the novel is recommended.
Gloria Feit Reviewer
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Feit, Gloria. "Wrongful Death." Reviewer's Bookwatch, Nov. 2015. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A435637976/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=3987edc8. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A435637976
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The Target
Gloria Feit
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(Jan. 2015): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2015 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
The Target
L.J. Sellers
Spellbinder Books
1755 Lorane Hwy., Eugene, OR 97405
9780984008674, $12.99, Paperback, 291 pp, www.spellbinderpress.com
I have enjoyed the Detective Jackson series by this author, of which the ninth entry is scheduled to be released in August of 2014. The present novel is the second in the Agent Dallas books. The reader is immediately shown a facet of the personality of Agent Jamie Dallas when, in the opening pages, she undertakes skydiving with her colleague, on a bit. (This trait, of loving a challenge, is apparently one she shares with her creator, who has also been known to jump out of airplanes.) When Jaime wins the bet, that she couldn't catch him in a free-fall, "not only did Sam owe her a hundred dollars, but for the next week, he had to call her 'sir' and give her sex whenever she wanted it." But what she's really anxious for is another undercover assignment. Hopefully soon enough to get out of Phoenix for the rest of the summer. Her wish is granted when she is called to San Diego: An FBI agent has been killed. Dallas, whose ultimate aim is to become a Special Agent, for now loves undercover work: "a license to lie, cheat and spy--all for the good of her country."
What follows is a look into the field of medical device research and development into what seems a very esoteric field: developing digestive-friendly microbiota, appetite-suppressant devices, and the like. Two particular companies seem to have a more-than-usually competitive relationship, and sabotage is suspected, with each rumored to have a mole in the other company, and with the murdered agent only the first victim. The stakes are huge: if one is to believe the studies, a very large portion of our society suffers from obesity, and a product to combat that has multi-billion dollar rewards.
A recurring theme is revenge, and fraught father-daughter situations. The cast of characters, as always with Ms. Sellers, is intriguing and unusual: Transgender agent Carla (formerly "Carl") River, whose father was a convicted serial killer serving a life sentence; Kiya, a free-lance and very lethal operative from Uzbekistan who had been sold as a young child into marriage; homicide cop Raul Cortez, only four months on the job and with an active love life (or
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imagination) and a "rescue pig" named Grumpy; and Dallas herself, who had run away from home at 16 and never looked back, and whose connection to the murdered agent is very personal. An enjoyable read (although my preference is still for the Detective Jackson series, I must admit).
Gloria Feit Reviewer Feit, Gloria
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Feit, Gloria. "The Target." Reviewer's Bookwatch, Jan. 2015. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A398252447/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=f352eb9a. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A398252447
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Crimes of Memory
Gloria Feit
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(May 2014): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2014 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Crimes of Memory
L.J. Sellers
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
276 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10001
9781477809471, $14.95, Paperback, 294 pp, www.amazon.com/thomasandmercer
This new novel by L.J. Sellers brings back Wade Jackson, now after 20 years a senior detective in the Violent Crimes Unit of the Eugene, Oregon P.D., in this 8th book in the series. The events take place over a period of only a few days, with the first of these bringing several serious events in quick succession: A firebomb goes off in a bottled water factory, which the police believe to be the work of an eco-terrorist group. Very shortly after that, a dead body is discovered in a storage unit not far from the factory, the victim an ex-con who was apparently living there.
On a personal level, Wade's 15-year-old daughter is still dealing with rage and hostility in the aftermath of her mother's death (in the last novel) in an abduction rescue gone wrong, wherein his ex-wife died at his hand in a tragic accidental shooting. He has only recently returned to the force after a three-week leave. The three story lines alternate (somewhat disconcertingly at times, a chapter dealing with one of them ending in a cliffhanger and the next chapter returning to another), but that quibble aside, it is easy to follow each of them, with the reader wondering if any of them connect. There are several suspects in each of the investigations, but no clear evidence pointing to any particular person as the perpetrator. The suspense increases appreciably as the book nears its conclusion, along with a totally unexpected twist.
The novel suffers from some poor editing, and for some reason this book felt more like a debut novel than one from a writer with several good books to her credit. But despite that, the novel reads quickly, and this protagonist is one to whom readers can relate, and who readers are always going to be anxious to meet again in the next book in the series, to see how he will deal with the difficulties in his personal life and continue to be the good cop that he has always been, dealing like the professional he is with the challenges brought on by his next case. Recommended.
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Gloria Feit Reviewer Feit, Gloria
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Feit, Gloria. "Crimes of Memory." Reviewer's Bookwatch, May 2014. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A371192754/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=a8bfccfa. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A371192754
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Deadly Bonds
Gloria Feit
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(Mar. 2015): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2015 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Deadly Bonds
L.J. Sellers
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
276 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10001 amazon.cm/thomasandmercer 9781477824306, $14.95, 303 pp.
Eugene, Oregon police detective Wade Jackson's newest case takes him to a scene where a young woman's dead body is discovered in a nearly empty house, but the most startling thing about it is when he discovers her three-year-old son hidden beneath the floorboards in a closet. The boy, Benjie, immediately bonds with Jackson, who already has enough on his plate, on a personal level: His teenage daughter's whereabouts are unknown, and his girlfriend, Kera, is going through her own personal crisis, with the mother of her grandson (whose father, Kera's son, had been killed in Iraq) on life support after being in a car crash.
The usual cast of terrific supporting characters is present, the other detectives in the Violent Crimes Unit, of which Jackson is task force leader: Rob "Schak" Schakowski; Jackson's mentee, Lara Evans; Michael Quince; and their boss, Sgt. Denise Lammers. Evans, who has romantic feelings towards Jackson, is a fascinating character in her own right. Coming from an abusive household, she now volunteers at a women's support center, and hopes to join the SWAT team soon. When a new case surfaces, with the star quarterback of the college football team having been found dead in his apartment, Evans is tasked with that investigation. This one is a political nightmare, with the college and its football team being the city's cash cow, and concerns that the death might be drug- and/or steroid-related. And soon the possibility arises that the two cases may overlap. The book races along to a suspense-filled conclusion, complete with kidnappings, and a series of new characters and events that had my head spinning.
This is the ninth entry in the series, and it is a winner. The author's many fans will be delighted to know that the tenth and newest book, "Wrongful Death," is due out in March.
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Gloria Feit Reviewer Feit, Gloria
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Feit, Gloria. "Deadly Bonds." Reviewer's Bookwatch, Mar. 2015. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A405678653/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=eec0ac14. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A405678653
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Rules of Crime
Reviewer's Bookwatch.
(July 2013): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2013 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
L.J. Sellers
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
276 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10001
9781611098068, $14.95, www.amazon.com/thomasandmercer
Attacks by unknown perpetrators on two lone women, separated by several miles and as many hours, open this newest novel by L.J. Sellers in the Detective Wade Jackson series. The first is distinctly personal to Jackson: The kidnapping for ransom of his ex-wife, Renee, recovering alcoholic and the mother of his beloved teenage daughter, Katie. The FBI is called in, of course, but Jackson, now after 20years a senior detective in the Violent Crimes Unit of the Eugene, Oregon P.D., isallowed to join the team, convincing his boss that he can be both objective and professional.
The second case is a brutal assault, the body of the victim dumped, naked, outside of a hospital ER, where she remains in very serious condition, and detective Lara Evans, Jackson's mentee in the same unit, is assigned to handle it. Unfortunately, another common factor in both cases is the utter lack of witnesses or clues.
Events play out over a period of one week, with suspense building up as with meticulous police work the pieces start to fit together in both crimes. The book provides the excellent character development for which this author has been highly praised, introducing an intriguing new character: a transgender FBI agent, without making that the agent's defining characteristic. "Rules of Crime" is terrific summer reading, and is recommended.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Rules of Crime." Reviewer's Bookwatch, July 2013. PowerSearch, http://link.galegroup.com
/apps/doc/A337720809/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=4204abcd. Accessed 24 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A337720809
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The Sex Club
A Wade Jackson Mystery by L. J. Sellers
The Sex Club by L. J. Sellers
Review: L. J. Sellers introduces Eugene (Oregon) police detective Wade Jackson in The Sex Club, a well written if formulaic mystery involving the murders of two teenage girls.
Shortly after a young girl visits a planned parenthood clinic to be treated for a sexually transmitted disease, the clinic is targeted with a pipe bomb. The next day, the young girl is found dead, apparently murdered. Wade Jackson, the police detective assigned to the cases, doesn't believe the incidents are connected, but the clinic nurse, Kera Kollmorgan, isn't so sure. While Jackson focuses primarily on the murder investigation, Kera probes into the life of the dead girl becoming a target herself. When another young girl, also a client of the clinic, is murdered, both Jackson and Kera are convinced it has more to do with a church social club the girls were members of than a serial killer at work.
The Sex Club is one of those "mysteries with a message" where the plot plays a secondary role to the message itself. On the plus side, Sellers is a terrific writer. The story moves along very quickly and Wade Jackson's character is generally well developed. In particular, his professional and personal relationships, in the latter case especially with his daughter, appear to be genuine. The best parts of the book are the chapters from his point of view. (The Sex Club is largely written from three points of view.) The setting seems appropriate too, a mid-sized city in Oregon.
But the plot is utterly predictable, made even more so by the unfortunate stereotypes the author chooses to apply to many of the secondary characters. This lack of originality in both plot and character obviates any suspense the book might have otherwise generated. There are also the odd, but fortunately few, lapses of logic that strain credulity. Finally, the good-vs-evil, right-vs-wrong aspect of the story is overdone and overwrought.
This series clearly has potential with Sellers' skills as a writer and a credible character in Wade Jackson. Maybe next time there will be more of a mystery with a plot and less of a mystery with a message.
Acknowledgment: L. J. Sellers provided a copy of The Sex Club for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Rules of Crime
A Wade Jackson Mystery by L. J. Sellers
Rules of Crime by L. J. Sellers
Review: Detective Wade Jackson of the Eugene, Oregon Police Department. While vacationing in Hawaii with his current love interest, Wade Jackson — a detective with the Eugene (Oregon) Police Department — receives a frantic from his daughter, Katie, telling him her mother, Jackson's ex-wife Renee, is missing. He immediately returns to Oregon to help locate Renee, who he suspects may have started drinking again and simply needed a place to hide out until she became sober, not realizing how much danger she is in, in Rules of Crime, the seventh mystery in this series by L. J. Sellers.
Jackson and Katie soon learn Renee has been kidnapped, a ransom demanded from her wealthy fiancé Ivan Anderson, who agrees to pay. With the FBI watching the designated drop off point, a man collects the money, and attempts to flee via an innertube in the river. But he doesn't make it when the tube overturns, trapping and drowning him. With absolutely no leads to go on, they fear the worst for Renee.
Meanwhile, Detective Lara Evans, who works with Wade Jackson, has her own case to solve: the brutal beating of a college student, who may have been linked to a secret sorority. As the days go by, these two cases seem to overlap in strange and unexpected ways. Though unlikely they are, in fact, connected, every angle must be scrutinized in an effort to solve both.
There's a nice mix of roles here; though nominally a "Wade Jackson" mystery, several different characters take the lead here at different times, sharing the spotlight, as it were. There's also an interesting character — and plot — twist that comes into play. Ivan Anderson's daughter Dakota is mauled by a dog in a park, another case for the detective to solve. But this crime hits a little close to home for Jack: as a child, a dog attacked him leaving a deep scar on his face, a daily reminder of the fear he has for the animal.
Rules of Crime is an exciting police procedural-style thriller, with a strong cast of characters and a well developed, suspenseful storyline.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Rules of Crime.
Acknowledgment: Thomas & Mercer provided a copy of Rules of Crime for this review.
Review Copyright © 2013 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Deadly Bonds
A Wade Jackson Mystery by L. J. Sellers
Deadly Bonds by L. J. Sellers
Review: Eugene (Oregon) homicide detective Wade Jackson is called in to investigate the murder of a young woman, when he discovers her 3-year-old son Benjie hiding beneath the floorboards of a closet, a possible witness to the crime, in Deadly Bonds, the ninth mystery in this series by L. J. Sellers.
Benjie is scared, and bonds immediately with Jackson, who fears making matters worse for the boy by questioning him on the scene. Protocol requires Jackson to call in social services, but Benjie refuses to go with them. With no alternative available, Jackson takes Benjie home with him, though it's far from an ideal situation as he investigates the murder of Benjie's mother. And the task gets harder when his partner, Lara Evans, is reassigned to a high profile case: the death of a star college football player, who was found dead on his bathroom floor. Probably not murder, but suspicious nonetheless.
Whenever there are two storylines in a mystery that are almost certain to be connected at some point, the trick for the author is to make what is likely to be a most improbable coincidence to link them appear to be completely natural and credible. And that's the real issue here with Deadly Bonds; the connection — and there are actually two — isn't all that credible. It's not so far out of bounds that will cause readers eyes to roll, but comes really close. Other problems crop up in the narrative style. The short, to-the-point sentences in short paragraphs in (relatively) short chapters from multiple points of view come across as choppy. There aren't many anecdotal side trips here, which is good, but what is there could use a bit of descriptive color and depth. It's all very clinical. On a more positive note, the murder mystery plot is well structured and, improbable coincidences aside, the side plot does tie nicely into it. And the characters are well drawn, most especially the relationship between Jackson and Benjie, which is really quite sweet and probably the best part of the book. On balance, a positive recommendation for this series mystery, but not an overly enthusiastic one.
Acknowledgment: Thomas & Mercer provided a copy of Deadly Bonds for this review.
IndieView: L.J. Sellers, author of, The Sex Club
Posted on November 27, 2010 by Simon Royle | 6 Comments
Cover for The Sex Club, by author L.J. Sellers
One of the things I notice as I trawl the web seeking to expand my knowledge of this business, and make no mistake you have to treat indie publishing like a business if you want to succeed, is that there are tons of people telling you to split your time between writing and marketing. And this is true. What they don’t say is you also have to split your time with learning. Learning is at least important as the other two, the three legs of a three legged stool. Without one of those legs you’re not going to have anything to sit on.
And that was my motivation for starting these Indieviews. An opportunity to learn and by posting them giving you that same opportunity. Some of these Indieviews will be from ‘newbies’, why not, we can learn from them too, even if it is just to not make the same mistakes. The majority, however, will be from people like L.J., people who are carefully plotting a new course in how authors interact with readers and sell books. Enjoy!
“I was doing all the work to sell my novels and my publisher was making the money. The only reason I thought I needed a publisher in the first place was for the stamp of legitimacy. I decided that making a living was more important than being traditionally published. Going indie was a great move for me. My books are selling really well, and I’m starting to make a living.” L.J. Sellers 27 November 2010
The Back Flap
When a bomb explodes at a birth-control clinic and a young client turns up dead, Detective Jackson is assigned both cases. But are they connected? Kera, the clinic nurse who discovers that the girl’s Bible group is really a sexual free-for-all, thinks they are. But confidentiality keeps her from telling the police, so she digs for the truth on her own and becomes the bomber’s new target. Soon another girl is murdered. Can Jackson uncover the killer’s shocking identity in time to stop the slaughter?
About the Book
What is the book about?
The Sex Club is a provocative mystery/thriller that readers say they can’t put down. The tag line is: A dead girl, a ticking bomb, a Bible study that’s not what it appears to be, and a detective who won’t give up.
Foremost, the story is a murder mystery. The victims are young teenagers who are engaged in unsafe sexual activity. The main characters are a Planned Parenthood nurse and a homicide detective who are each investigating the same group of people. Their stories overlap and come together in an explosive ending.
When I wrote this novel, I didn’t know it would become the first book in a series. It was simply a story I was compelled to tell. But I needed a homicide investigator as the protagonist, and I knew he would have the potential to become a series character. So I created a detective I liked well enough to bring back in future books…if readers wanted more. And they did. I’ve written three more Jackson stories: Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, and Passions of the Dead. Mystery Scene magazine has given rave reviews to all.
When did you start writing the book and how long did it take?
I wrote this story six years ago (during a more conservative government and political climate). I was laid off my magazine job soon after I started the novel, so I was able to complete the first draft in a few months. Then I wrote another draft after I landed an agent for it. So I worked on the book, off and on, for a year and a half.
Where did you get the idea from?
The plot of The Sex Club sprang from a news story that stuck in my mind about a group of sexually active young teenagers, combined with my fears about the effects of abstinence-only sex education. Being a crime writer, I asked the What If? question and threw in a murder or two. Most of my novels are based on real crimes, combined with social issues I feel strongly about.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I struggled with writing the sexual conversations between teenagers. So it’s a good thing I didn’t try to write any actual sex scenes. I also struggled with getting inside the head of the antagonist and seeing the world from her perspective. I wanted to make her complex and human instead of one dimensional, and it was challenging.
What came easily?
After interviewing several detectives, it was surprisingly easy for me to channel a male investigator, who struggles to be realistic about the people he deals with, while not becoming bitter or judgmental. The research also made it easy to get the details of the investigative process correct. For the follow-up Jackson stories, I continued to interview law enforcement personnel, including a crime scene technician, a medical examiner, and a SWAT leader. I love this aspect of my work.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Some of my characters are completely fictitious, and others are composites based loosely on someone I know, but modified to fit the story or simply my view of the character. Detective Jackson, for example, is a combination of two detectives I interviewed, with some of my husband thrown in. For example, as a hobby, Jackson restores old cars and is building a trike (a three-wheeled motorcycle), which is something my husband does, so I know a little about it. Because I have so many personalities (:)), most of my main female characters have a little bit of me in them.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
As young person, I read Rex Stout, John MacDonald, and Ross McDonald, and I fell in love with crime fiction and private investigators. Eventually, I read Lawrence Sanders, John Sandford, and Michael Connelly and came to love police procedurals. I wrote several suspense stories before I decided to try writing a police procedural, which I’m happy writing in as my main genre.
Do you have a target reader?
The majority of my readers are women between the ages of 30 and 70, in others words, people like me. So I write stories that I would love to read and try not to worry about crafting my stories to fit a particular audience. To be clear, I have plenty of male fans too, but the simple statistics indicate that women read more than men. I do try to create covers that will appeal to both genders.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I do extensive plotting before I start writing the story, so I know all the broad strokes, who the killer is, and roughly how the story will end. I keep adding to the outline as I write and as ideas come to me. The outline is just a guideline, and I make changes as I go along if I get better ideas. I also create timelines because my stories take place in about a week and I want to be realistic about what can happen in the course of a day. I also have character files and note/problem files that I work with as I craft the story. At fifty pages, I stop and clean up what I have, then send it out to three or four beta readers for feedback. I do very little editing in the first draft. The idea is to get the story down as it comes to me. In the next draft, I add detail, do fact checking, and parse words.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Of course! I’ve worked as a magazine and fiction editor, but no one can thoroughly edit their own work. I not only pay to have it edited, I also pay again for a final proofreading. Even that doesn’t find all the mistakes. Editing suspense fiction is more challenging than almost any other type of editing, because editors and proofreaders get caught up in the story too.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I had an agent for this story, but she failed to sell it, even though editors at major houses said they loved the novel and one said she read it in one sitting. Eventually, I connected with a small publisher on my own. At this point, I no longer waste my time querying agents. Although if I could find an agent who would represent my work to foreign publishers, I might be interested.
What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I decided to go indie this year when I realized I would never make any money with my small publisher. I was doing all the work to sell my novels and my publisher was making the money. The only reason I thought I needed a publisher in the first place was for the stamp of legitimacy. I decided that making a living was more important than being traditionally published. Going indie was a great move for me. My books are selling really well, and I’m starting to make a living.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?
I work with a graphic artist. I find the cover image, send it to my designer, and she does the rest. I feel very fortunate to know this designer and I’m very happy with my covers.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Marketing is an ongoing process. When this book first came out, I did a lot of research and crafted a very detailed marketing plan. I still use that plan as a blueprint, but I make modifications for every new book and I seize new opportunities as they come up.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Treat self-publishing like a business. Create a production schedule and a marketing plan. Set business goals. Most important, hire professionals for editing, cover design, and e-book formatting. The time you spend getting good enough to do these things for yourself is not cost effective. That’s why businesses outsource certain things to other companies that already have the expertise.
About You
What would you like readers to know about you?
I grew up southern Oregon, then moved to Eugene to get a journalism degree at the University of Oregon. I’ve been here since and my stories are set here. Like all creative types, I worked as a food server when I was young, but I’ve spent most of my career working for magazines, newspapers, and educational publishers. I also perform standup comedy sometimes, and I’m an adrenaline seeker, who occasionally does things like jump out of an airplane or go parasailing.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing a fifth Detective Jackson story, and I’ve outlined a futuristic thriller that I’m very excited to get started on. My books are finally selling well enough that next year, I’ll give up most of my freelance business and write full time.
End of Interview
This links you to L.J. Sellers Amazon author page from where you can check out her six books.
THE SEX CLUB - L.J. Sellers
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Author Name:
L.J. Sellers
Author's Home Country:
USA
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Book Title:
The Sex Club
Series:
Jackson
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Category:
Crime Fiction
Sub Genre:
Police Procedural
HideBook Synopsis
A pipe bomb explodes at a birth control clinic, then a young client turns up dead in a dumpster. Kera, the clinic nurse, discovers that the girl’s Bible group is sharing more than the Good News. Confidentiality keeps her from telling the police, so she digs for the truth on her own—becoming the bomber’s new target. Meanwhile, Detective Jackson races to find the killer, fearing that his own daughter could be next. But his investigation is blocked by power politics at every step. Can Jackson uncover the killer’s shocking identity in time to stop the slaughter?
HideBook Review
To get the obvious out of the way up front - the title isn't quite as sinister as it first seems. Whilst this is a book which has some unsavoury elements to it, the point being made is more about the nature of peer pressure and the unfortunate consequences of denial.
When I was lucky enough to get a copy of THE SEX CLUB for my ereader I wasn't really too sure what to expect. The potential sexual elements of the book were certainly not an issue for me, but combine that with a fundamentalist Christian subplot and I became a reluctant reader. But I'm very glad that I was talked into putting my reluctance aside and found, once I started reading the book, I was very quickly engaged.
THE SEX CLUB combines the two main threads - the bombing of the Family Planning Clinic and the death of Jessie. Whilst some elements of the perpetrator of the bombing are known up front, there is less revealed about the murder. This means that the reader watches as, under pressure and under threat, Kera and Jackson must resolve everything - the bomber's identify and motives, the murder's identity and motives and whether the events are connected. And they must do all of that in time to stop any further bombings or murders. It's a well developed methodology, and the storytelling makes the interweaving of these threads believable, complicated but not complex, and engaging.
This book is a debut book and as an opening salvo in getting to know, in particular, Detective Jackson (who has his name on the ongoing series) it was a good start. There was a lot explained about both Jackson and Kera's backgrounds. Both characters do suffer a little from overtly damaged pasts (leading to much scope for mutual understanding and noble intentions), but overall Jackson, in particular, is an interesting character juggling the challenges of a demanding job and single-fatherhood to a teenage daughter. Of the supporting characters, perhaps the least successful is the perpetrator of the bombing - in whose head the reader spends a fair amount of time. It could be that the character was somewhat unconvincing, having said that, as I write this review I'm aware that it could also very well be that somebody that fanatical is.. frankly... completely offputting and impossible to understand.
In the main, THE SEX CLUB is a book that tackles issues that some readers are going to find contentious. For what it's worth, I thought that each of the difficult aspects were handled with sensitivity, although I should imagine that a slight tendency to "lecture" on some aspects might annoy some readers. Having said that, the sheer tackling of these issues alone is undoubtedly going to annoy some readers. On a personal level I was quite surprised that something built around perpetrators with viewpoints that I would normally leave to other readers worked as well as it did, and I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
Submitted 6 years 9 months ago by Karen.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 - 6:39pm
The Gauntlet Assassin (An Action Thriller) by L.J. Sellers
The year is 2023 and ex-detective Lara Evans is working as a freelance paramedic in a bleak new world. She responds to an emergency call and is nearly killed when a shooter flees the home.
Inside she finds the federal employment commissioner wounded, but she’s able to save his life. The next day Lara leaves for the Gauntlet—a national competition of intense physical and mental challenges with high stakes for her home state. She spots the assailant lurking at the arena and soon after, she lands in deep trouble.
Who is the mysterious killer and what is motivating him? Can Lara stop him, stay alive, and win the Gauntlet?
“L. J. Sellers is again in top storytelling form… with twists and turns you won’t see coming.”—OverMyDeadBody.com
“L.J. Sellers weaves an intricate web of action, intrigue, and romance in this near-future thriller.”—Scott Nicholson, bestselling author of Liquid Fear
“Another great read from one of my favorite authors.” —Bookbitch.com
In The Arranger, Sellers has written a top-notch thriller. If you like thrillers, The Arranger is a 5-star-sure-to-please-can’t-put-down read.”—Richard Adin,The American Editor.com
Books
The Gauntlet Assassin
by L.J. Sellers
Spellbinder Press, April 2012, $16.95
Buy at Amazon
Shop at Indie Bound
L.J.Sellers’ The Gauntlet Assassin takes us to the near future of 2023, when most people are jobless and have no access to health care of any kind. To keep the stricken country from rioting, the US government has initiated the Gauntlet, a series of televised physical contests in which the winner receives a large amount of grant money for her/his impoverished home state. Unlike in The Hunger Games, no one is supposed to be killed, but that’s exactly what happens when one contestant is found dead. Former cop-now-EMT Lara Evans, the victim’s roommate and a contestant herself, falls under suspicion. To clear herself, Lara must find the real killer at the same time she’s competing in the Gauntlet.
The Gauntlet Assassin is a thrill ride from the first page to the last, another entry in Sellers’ amazingly prolific career. So prolific is she—eight books in two years!— that I sometimes suspect she’s several people, all writing feverishly day and night. Regardless of Sellers’ extraordinary output, her quality never wanes, and The Gauntlet Assassin is another tightly plotted thriller peopled with unforgettable characters—especially Lara. Burdened by guilt and forced out of the police department because of a questionable shooting, Lara is hanging on by a thin emotional thread, and she knows that the Gauntlet will either kill her or set her free. The Gauntlet Assassin is a wonderful book by a writer you can always count on to deliver the goods.
L.J. Sellers
The Baby Thief by L. J. Sellers
Jenna visits a fertility clinic, hoping to be artificially inseminated, but the clinic doctor takes one look at her patient and makes other plans. The doctor and her lover conspire to kidnap Jenna and steal one of her eggs-a simple procedure that the “donor” should no have memory of. Yet from the beginning, things go terribly wrong.
Midwest Book Review
“This is a powerful, highly recommended and cautionary tale about the dark side of fertility science. When two different childless women (one unable to find Mr. Right, the other unable to conceive at all) decide to have babies via fertility clinic instead of more traditional routes events spiral out of control in cycles of mounting tragedy. From first page to last, Beyond Conception is a gripping look at how modern science can bring out the sordid aspects of human nature.”
Secrets to Die For (Detective Wade Jackson Series #2) by L. J. Sellers
Readers say if you like Connelly and Crais, you’ll love this mystery-thriller too!
When social worker Raina Hughes visits the home of a young boy she’s been assigned to monitor, things quickly turn ugly with his meth-addicted dad. Later, when Raina is found brutally murdered, Detective Jackson thinks it’s an open-and-shut case against the boy’s ex-con father.
Complications develop when new evidence points to a serial assailant who’s becoming more violent with each attack. Raina’s friend, Jamie, knows what the victims have in common, but she won’t tell for fear of revealing her own secrets.
When Jamie disappears, Jackson must uncover the truth before anyone else is murdered.
“This is a well-plotted, suspenseful crime story that will keep readers on a rollercoaster ride.”—OverMyDeadBody.com
“I recently ripped through “Secrets to Die For,” the second in Eugene author L.J. Sellers’ Detective Jackson series. It’s the kind of fiction where the writing gets out of the way and allows you to read on autopilot until you figure out who did it. Maybe all mysteries are this way, but I had to stay up until 2 a.m. to finish it.”—The Register Guard
“Sellers keeps the tension and suspense running high. As Detective Jackson is drawn into his newest case, he is also juggling personal life hurdles. Readers will thrive on the energy from this thriller and be impatient for the next.”—RT Reviews
“Another top notch mystery from the author of THE SEX CLUB. Sellers manages to maintain suspense as well as treating a potentially salacious subject with dignity. Hopefully this series will continue. There is ample material and Sellers´ writing style is superb.”—Bookbitch.com
“I couldn’t put this book down until I reached the shocking ending! While writing a thrilling mystery, Ms Sellers’ explores our attitudes toward some of the social issues we tend to turn a blind eye to.” —Molly Weston, Meritorious Mysteries
The Arranger by L.J. Sellers
September 1, 2011 by Jeannie Holmes
By Jeannie Holmes
L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist and the author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/suspense series: The Sex Club, Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, Passions of the Dead, and Dying for Justice. I recent caught up with her to discuss her latest book.
The Arranger is a thriller set in a futuristic world in which contestants enter a national endurance competition called the Gauntlet. What is the Gauntlet?
The Gauntlet contest is co-sponsored by the federal government and a giant media/technology company called AmGo. A representative from each state competes for a grant that will allow its cash-strapped state government to rehire public employees, such as police officers and teachers. Part of the prize is that AmGo will also build its next fulfillment center in the winner’s state, bringing in even more jobs. The contest, broadcast live to a global pay-per-view audience, consists of five phases: the Challenge, the Puzzle, the Battle, the Obstacle, and the Marathon. In each round of the Challenge, two competitors race against each other, with the loser going home. The 25 remaining contestants each have a chance in the Puzzle, a locked-room scenario, with only the 16 fastest times going on to the Battle, a hand-to-hand combat tournament. Writing those scenes was so different from anything I’ve ever done. It was challenging and fun, and several beta readers said the competition scenes left them breathless.
You describe Lara Evans as an ex-detective working as a freelance paramedic. Do you have a background in either of these professions?
It would be fun if I did, but I’m a career journalist. As a journalist, I’ve researched and written about dozens of subjects and careers. I also was a senior editor on a pharmaceutical magazine for seven years, and I had daily access mountains of medical information, which has always fascinated me. As a novelist, I’ve interviewed many homicide detectives, as well as a medical examiner, a crime scene technician, and a SWAT sergeant.
How much research did you do for Lara’s character and her world?
I thought at first I would do plenty of research, but the future is very difficult to investigate! And although Lara is a paramedic, she only has one scene in the beginning of the story in which she uses her medic skills. After that, she goes to Washington D.C. to compete in the Gauntlet. There, she uses her highly developed self-defense skills, which I had fun researching. Her circumstances also require her to use her training as an investigator, which I’ve researched for my five Detective Jackson books. Lara Evans is one of the taskforce members from my Jackson series, and she had a major role in the last book, Dying for Justice. So her character was already established, but I took her development deeper by putting her through some unfortunate events between the two stories.
What drew you to the idea of a futuristic thriller?
When I was younger, I read two futuristic thrillers that both made my list of all-time favorite books: The Tomorrow File by Lawrence Sanders and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I loved both, and as soon as I started writing novels, I vowed I would one day write my own futuristic thriller. I don’t mean to compare my work to those brilliant social/sci-fi novels, but it was satisfying to finally accomplish my goal. The timing of this novel reflects 1) my need to take a break from my series, and 2) my concern for the future of our county. It’s something I think about daily, so I channeled that fear and worry into a creative endeavor.
Did you find any aspects of creating a bleak futuristic world especially challenging? If so, could you please explain why and how you overcame them?
Even though I consider myself an optimist, what is challenging for me now is to see the future as anything but bleak. The recession and unemployment look like long-term situations to me, and budget cuts will make things worse. I don’t consider The Arranger to be a dystopian novel though, because the story is realistic and society has not broken down. But is it changed. Unemployment is chronic, state and local governments have shrunk to the point of being ineffective, and healthcare is in crisis. It was depressing at times to write about such a future, but also cathartic. I use my novels as a way to process my fears. Now that I’ve imagined a worst-case scenario, whatever we do face will not seem as bad. Also, both the main characters in this novel are amazingly upbeat and determined to change their lives. That helped me stay positive while writing the story.
Will we see more of Lara Evans in future books?
Lara will continue to be a character in my Detective Jackson novels, but I intended The Arranger to be a standalone. My beta readers have already asked if the story is the first in a new series, because they want more. Eventually, if enough readers want to see another novel with Lara in the future, I might produce a follow-up. But it won’t have the same Gauntlet theme, because I just don’t see where else I can take that.
What can readers expect to see from L.J. Sellers next?
I’m working on the next book in my Detective Jackson series, but it’s still in the development phase so I hesitate to give any details about it. So much can change when you’re writing a story. I also feel confident I’ll write Jackson #7 immediately following, giving me ten books on the market. At that point, I’ll likely consider another standalone thriller or perhaps start a new series with all new characters.
Thanks, L.J., for sharing with our readers. Look for The Arranger in September from Spellbinder Press. With praise like this, do you really want to miss it?
Praise for The Arranger:
“L. J. Sellers is again in top storytelling form… with twists and turns you won’t see coming.”—OverMyDeadBody.com
“Another great read from one of my favorite authors.”—Bookbitch.com
“L.J. Sellers weaves an intricate web of action, intrigue, and romance in this near-future thriller.”—Scott Nicholson, bestselling thriller author
*****
L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist and the author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/suspense series: The Sex Club, Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, Passions of the Dead, and Dying for Justice. Her novels have been highly praised by Mystery Scene, Crimespree, and Spinetingler magazines, and the series is on Amazon Kindle’s bestselling police procedural list. L.J. also has two standalone thrillers: The Baby Thief and The Suicide Effect. When not plotting murders, she enjoys performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
To learn more about L.J., please visit her website.
Thrilled to Death
by L.J. Sellers
Echelon Press Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-1-590-80727-9.
Reviewed by Susan Ideus
Posted on 07/01/2010
Fiction: Mystery
(click on book cover or title to buy from amazon.com)
In the space of three books, I've become a big fan of L.J. Sellers. The first Detective Wade Jackson book, The Sex Club, I read at the behest of a friend who, like me, is a mystery fan. I liked it a lot. The second in the series, Secrets to Die For, was even better, richer in detail and story development. Sellers' latest, Thrilled to Death, is the best yet, presenting more characters, an unrivalled plot, and enough twists to keep the reader hooked. Although I know I have a long wait, I'm already eagerly anticipating number four.
Why have I become such a fan? To begin with, Sellers has developed her main characters in such a way that they are familiar to the reader. Wade, Kera, Katie, and a variety of detectives play key roles. We know them, their backgrounds, their quirks, their issues and I like this. Far from being boring, this allows the stories to flow smoothly—no going back a few pages, wondering, "Now, who was that?" In addition, this permits Sellers to introduce new characters, and flesh them out in great detail. We know the main actors; now comes the supporting cast in each story.
Another selling point for me is that Sellers confronts current social issues from abortion clinics to homosexual relationships to single mothers and more, making them critical elements of her stories. She gives facts and figures and enough background that the reader can form their own opinions and will hopefully come away more well-informed, and perhaps more curious and wanting to learn more.
Sellers' attention to detail, both in police procedurals and plot details suggests a great deal of background work and study, lending credibility to the plots. Her imagination in the creation of the details fascinates me. Nothing is everyday ordinary, down to the diseases and disorders suffered by some of the characters and their varied professions. Sellers' creativity and factual details are a unique hallmark of this series.
In Thrilled to Death, Jackson and his cohorts are investigating the disappearance, on the same day, of two young women. On the surface, they have nothing in common. One is a spoiled, "bad" girl from a wealthy family, often in the headlines and often in trouble. The other is a new single mother, struggling to keep her life together, barely making ends meet. Both could be runaways, one vying for attention and one escaping overwhelming responsibilities. The cops in Missing Persons seem ready to write off both cases, but that doesn't set right with Detective Jackson. The socialite's mother asks for Jackson, whom she knows to be the best investigator, to take her daughter's case, as she knows this instance is "different". The young mother is the daughter-in-law of Jackson's love interest, Kera, who cannot quite believe that the young woman could just abandon her darling Micah.
As the investigation proceeds, clues come to light at an alarming speed. Some make sense, some are far out, but all mean something. The story unfolds with bizarre turns and peculiar characters. Just when something starts to make sense, another element is thrown in the mix. This is a crazy ride for the reader trying to get a handle on the characters and their relationships, the details of the myriad clues, and how they all play out. Sellers masterfully guides the reader through the maze. What at first seemed evident is cast aside for a new truth and what seemed to be crucial is in the end interesting but trivial to the outcome. The pace remains frenetic, and it is not until the last few pages that it all comes together. No wasted space, no fillers—this is all story all the way to the end. I could not put it down until I was finished.
If you like fast-paced stories, believable characters and bizarre plot twists, I suggest you give this series a try. I know you won't be disappointed.
L.J. Sellers, an award-winning journalist, a freelance editor and a novelist, lives in Eugene, OR, also the setting for her Detective Wade Jackson Mystery series. She is also a stand-up comic. When she's not writing, she loves hanging out with her family, cycling, reading crime mysteries, gardening and social networking. Find out more on her website.
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Romantic Suspense
Thrilled to Death by L.J. Sellers
August 9, 2010 by Mary Kennedy
By Mary Kennedy
Recently I sat down with L.J. Sellers to talk about Thrilled to Death, the latest in her Detective Jackson Mysteries.
Jack Quick, a book reviewer, said you have a “delightfully twisted mind.” I assume that is a good thing, for a mystery novelist. Care to elaborate?
For a crime novelist, “delightfully twisted mind” is the highest compliment you can receive. In my case, I hope it refers to the many twists and turns my stories take and to the unusual and difficult crimes I devise for Detective Jackson to investigate. To clarify, I don’t write about serial killers or evil for the sake of evil, so he didn’t mean that kind of twisted.
The premise is terrific: “two missing women with nothing in common, a dead body and a suspect who hasn’t left his house in years.”
The details of this story are complete fabrication, but women disappear all the time, so this is a common headline and I think about these women daily. It’s difficult to talk about the plot’s basic idea without giving away several twists, but like most of my stories, I’ve combined ideas that stuck in my mind. I bounce ideas off each other, asking: How can I connect this event to this crime?
Many of your characters struggle with moral choices. Kera withholds information from Detective Jackson to protect her client’s privacy. Is this something you deliberately add when you’re creating your characters?
We all struggle with moral choices and have to live with the consequences. These choices test and build character in a way that nothing else can. Moral dilemma so create conflict between characters who otherwise would choose to cooperate. Client confidentiality is also a theme I come back to because it’s common for detectives to come up against it from doctors, lawyers, and social workers.
Do you think that readers like ambiguity? I’m thinking of the ending of the Sex Club.
Readers like a little ambiguity involving minor plots or character development. But most people dislike cliffhangers, and I don’t end books that way. I resolve the main crime in every story. In fact, the question left open at the end of The Sex Cub (Will Danette have the baby?) is answered in the second story, Secrets to Die For.
You’d received kudos for your editorial services. Editing seems to involve such a different skill set from writing, and I wondered which came first.
Entry level journalism jobs require mostly copy writing, so that’s what I did first. But if you want to get promoted, you have to develop editing skills as well. The skills overlap in many ways, but editing is more than just reading for grammar and punctuation. Eventually, I combined the two areas and began editing fiction as a freelancer–which is much more fun than editing pharmaceutical reports.
What’s new on the horizon for you?
I have a fourth Detective Jackson story coming out next year. It’s titled Passions of the Dead, and my beta readers say it’s my best work yet. The Baby Thief, a standalone thriller, is coming out next year too. Meanwhile, I’m working on a fifth Jackson novel, and I’ve outlined and started writing a futuristic thriller.
What else would you like to tell us about yourself?
The control freak/organized/editor type is only one of my personalities. I’m also an adrenaline junkie. I bike to the top of steep hills so I can fly back down at 40 miles an hour. I’ve jumped out of an airplane, gone up in a hot air balloon, and done parasailing. When I was younger, I biked to the Grand Canyon (from Oregon), including crossing Donner Pass, a three-day 10,000-foot climb. Coming down the other side, with snow on the road, was the most terrifying 45 minutes of my life. Writing stories filled with suspense also feeds that need for living on the edge.
Mary Kennedy
Mary Kennedy writes The Talk Radio Mysteries and The Dream Club Mysteries and is a psychologist in private practice on the East Coast. Her latest release is NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER. You can visit her website or the Cozy Chicks Blog, where she blogs every Saturday.
New E-Releases
The Target (An Agent Dallas Thriller) by L.J. Sellers
April 26, 2014 by ITW
The Target (An Agent Dallas Thriller) by L.J. SellersAgent Jamie Dallas loves undercover assignments that get her out of the Phoenix Bureau. But her new case is daunting—an FBI agent is mysteriously dead and a medical device company is targeting competitors with dangerous acts of sabotage.
Dallas infiltrates TecLife and moves quickly to find evidence and steal a sample of their research bacteria. But soon her life is in danger when she’s caught in a battle between companies, each hoping to kill the competition while launching a billion-dollar breakthrough product.
Meanwhile, a famous actor is found beaten and murdered in an abandoned cannery, and a young detective ends up with the case of a lifetime. Determined to bring justice to his favorite star, Detective Cortez follows a trail of evidence that leads to the medical-product war—but he has no idea how deadly it is.
Can Dallas survive long enough to pull the pieces together and save millions of unsuspecting consumers from getting caught in the crossfire?
THE TARGET is available from Amazon.
*****
“With her latest Agent Dallas outing, Ms. Sellers has once again hit it out of the park.”—Bookbitch.com
*****
L.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mysteries—a two-time Readers Favorite Award winner—as well as the undercover Agent Dallas series and provocative standalone thrillers. Her novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and she is one of the highest-rated crime fiction authors on Amazon. L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where most of her novels are set and is an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
ITW
International Thriller Writers Inc represents professional authors from around the world. Learn more about them, their work, and the sources from which they draw their inspiration at the Official ITW Organization Website.
Interested in becoming a member of the International Thriller Writers? ITW offers Active and Associate memberships.
Deadly Bonds (A Detective Jackson Mystery) by L.J. Sellers
by Site Owner on January 8, 2015
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Formats: Paperback, eBook, Kindle, Audio Book, Audible
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
In Eugene, Oregon, Detective Wade Jackson is assigned to investigate the death of a young woman whose body was found in a run-down house in a poor neighborhood. When he arrived at the scene he discovered the woman’s toddler hiding under the floor. The boy quickly attached himself to Jackson, making his job even harder. His stress grew as a valuable member of his task force was pulled to investigate the death of a star football player from the University. Unable to find family to care for the toddler, and worrying about his own runaway daughter kept Detective Jackson’s focus scattered.
It is very easy to make a connection to the likable main characters. They seem more real than fictional. This is a mystery that pulls the reader in from the first chapter. The tension spirals, making it hard to put the book down. This reviewer confesses to loving a book with a map in the front to orient myself to the scene, and often wishes for a list of characters to refer to: this book has both! And that is in addition to an exciting and emotional story with great suspense and plot.
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Rating
Our Rating
Overall Rating
Total Score
Mystery, Crime & Thriller, Reviews
Fran ByramL.J. SellersThomas & Mercer
Contemporary Thrillers, Latest Books
Guilt Game by L. J. Sellers
May 31, 2017 by ITW
Roxanne MacFarlane is the Extractor—a former CIA agent who specializes in rescuing people from dangerous situations. She lives on the edge and works outside the law, but desperate families know she’s the only operative who can bring their missing loved ones home. Driven by guilt over the loss of her sister to a polygamous cult, she will stop at nothing to save her clients.
When Dave and Jenny Carson ask her to find their daughter, Emma, and extract her from a charismatic cult leader who preys on young women with guilt issues, Rox is eager to help them. But the experimental treatment she just started in order to improve her atypical brain patterns forces her to face conflicting newfound emotions while working feverishly to find the secret compound and craft a strategy to get Emma out.
When the bodies of young women who match Emma’s description turn up, Rox must fast-forward her plans. But the situation is more complicated and dangerous than she realizes, and her own life is soon in jeopardy. Can Rox save Emma and bring down a ruthless predator before more young women fall victim?
The Big Thrill recently spent some time with prolific author L.J. Sellers discussing her latest thriller, GUILT GAME:
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
This is the first book in an exciting new series with an original concept and a unique character. Readers will be exposed to up-close views of subversive situations they’ve never encountered before. They’ll also see the world through the eyes of someone with atypical neurologics, as well as experience the treatment she undergoes.
How does this book make a contribution to the genre?
The story and concept are unique: an ex-CIA agent who rescues people from repressive situations. The protagonist also uses a variety of strategies for her rescues and doesn’t rely totally on SWAT-type missions. So this story adds a new dimension to the thriller genre.
Was there anything new you discovered, or surprised you, as you wrote this book?
The character has atypical neurological responses (Autism Spectrum), yet is highly functional. The research was eye-opening. I also discovered that she needed a side-kick, and that he would be her stepfather, none of which was in my original synopsis. Also, her partner turned out to be funny sometimes, a new concept for my mystery/thrillers.
No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?
I conceptualized this character and premise after attending a Sisters in Crime Hollywood conference and hearing a producer say she wanted someone to create and submit a TV series script along these lines—because no one had ever developed this concept.
What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?
My three favorite authors are Lawrence Sanders, John Sandford, and Michael Connelly. They all write complex, compelling stories that made me want to write something similar.
*****
L.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mysteries—a four-time winner of the Readers Favorite Awards. She also pens the high-octane Agent Dallas series and provocative standalone thrillers. Her 21 novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and she’s one of the highest-rated crime fiction authors on Amazon.
L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where many of her novels are set, and she’s an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, and zip-lining. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
To learn more about L.J. please visit her website.
Contemporary Thrillers, Latest Books
Point of Control by L.J. Sellers
January 31, 2016 by ITW
Point of Control_medBy Heidi Ruby Miller
L.J. Sellers may have had a rough and busy year in 2015, not the least of which included a broken leg, but she took time to chat with me about stand-up comedy, writing screenplays, and exploring the world of a sociopath in her new thriller POINT OF CONTROL.
Known for her wildly popular Detective Jackson series and a spin-off series starring Agent Dallas, Sellers has also gained acclaim for her standalone novels like The Baby Thief. The standalones are her way to explore new characters, new settings, and new plots. “Police procedurals can be limiting,” she says, “because detectives have to follow an investigative structure. They also don’t allow me to write from the antagonist’s point of view—because the ‘who’ in a whodunit has to be saved until the last moment. Writing the bad guy is often my favorite part of the process.”
Ironic coming from a woman who says humor is her outlet. She loves funny movies and has actually written three comedic screenplays. Balancing the gritty thriller writer and the comedian wasn’t easy at first. “I felt like I needed help with the comedic elements and dialogue. So I took a comedy writing class. That’s how I ended up doing standup in public.” Even before she wrote and performed her own routines, she was a fan of live standup and continues to attend acts whenever she can. “I still write short standup sketches just for fun, but I rarely perform. I keep telling myself I will again—soon. But I’m so busy!”
Sellers has an entire list of things she’s trying to make more time for, including learning to play the hand-drum she bought three years ago and capitalizing on what she learned in that comedy writing class. “I have a PI series planned with another writer that will have humorous elements. I’m due for that kind of change.” A new series is just one component in her upcoming production schedule. “The 11th Jackson book comes out next June (Death Deserved), and I’m writing another standalone thriller that is very different from anything I’ve done. I may self-publish, but I’m also considering submitting it to Skyscape [another Amazon Publishing imprint].”
Sellers has been with Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer since signing an incredible 11-book contract with them in 2012. The deal included nine backlist books and two front-list Detective Jackson novels, the rights of which she negotiated back from her original small publisher in 2010. Like many successful traditionally published authors, Sellers believed she could find a better, more direct market for her work, so she decided to head out on her own. She has built a considerable career in the past five years, with Thomas & Mercer continuing to publish her Detective Jackson series. “In addition, I have a three-book Indie [self-published] series based on an undercover Agent Dallas, who works for the FBI. POINT OF CONTROL will be the first front-list standalone thriller that I’ve published with T&M, and I’m eager to see how they promote it. Our hope is that it will attract a wide array of new readers.”
POINT OF CONTROL, which both Carson Black and Tim Hallinan call “nonstop action,” is also the first book where fan favorite Detective Wade Jackson doesn’t make an appearance. “I gave him cameos in all my other standalones, but it just didn’t work for this book because of the location. I’m trying to branch out into new settings.” Considering the overwhelming fervor for Detective Jackson, I ask if she’s worried about disappointing some fans. “None of my early readers complained that Jackson wasn’t in the story. I’m lucky to have terrific beta readers who are open to whatever I write. But some of my readers will always say, ‘I like the Jackson books better.’”
In POINT OF CONTROL readers will meet Andra Bailey, of which Publisher’s Weekly says, “Sellers combines a deeply flawed, yet sympathetic lead, with a clever and plausible plot device.” Bailey is a sociopathic FBI agent. “I’m fascinated by sociopaths,” Sellers says, “especially since learning that many of them are highly functional and not inherently destructive. Some are quite evil, of course, but many are not. They just don’t empathize with other people or have the ability to respect rules and boundaries.”
Sellers has a history of developing interesting characters who function within the structure of the bureau. “I also have a transgender FBI agent (Agent River) who has roles in both my Jackson and Dallas series.” It is this unique characterization and Sellers’s penchant for using subject matter that is real, timely, and plausible that make many readers and reviewers see her books as good candidates to be turned into screenplays—and not the funny kind.
So, how does a woman who loves Baggallini handbags and wears Liz Claiborne begin to research sociopaths? Using the same methods she did to earn the Grand Neal journalism award. Sellers proved her research chops as a journalist long before she became a thriller novelist. “As a journalist I would go directly to sources, but with sociopaths, that’s not really possible. Plus, they lie!” she jokes. “I read several books about sociopaths, including one written by one. It was fascinating to get inside her mind and see how it works.”
Sellers also has contacts at the bureau. “I have many FBI sources, here locally in Eugene, and I’ve made a great contact with the public liaison person in the main bureau in Washington, D.C. I visited with her personally, and now she opens doors for me at FBI offices wherever I need to go. Such as Denver, which I visited recently for a book I’m writing now.”
When asked if she’s ready for 2016, Sellers is enthusiastic and positive, traits that have allowed her to keep to a formidable multi-book schedule annually. “I’ll be keeping busy!” she says. “Maybe I’ll fit in a little overdue standup time, but those hand-drum lessons will probably have to wait.”
*****
LJSellers medL.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series—a four-time winner of the Readers Favorite Awards. She also pens the high-octane Agent Dallas series and provocative standalone thrillers. Her 17 novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and she’s one of the highest-rated crime fiction authors on Amazon. L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where many of her novels are set, and she’s an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys stand-up comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
To learn more about L.J., please visit her website.
Liars, Cheaters & Thieves by L. J. Sellers
Outside a local bar, a man is drugged and slashed to death with a scalpel. Inside a local bank, a woman suffers a fatal heart attack after learning her life savings have been plundered.
The crimes are as different as the night and day they occur.
The vicious murder is a case for Eugene’s violent crimes division, but the more Detective Wade Jackson and his homicide team probe into the death of Rafel Mazari–an Iraq War veteran with disturbing secrets–the more it appears that one crime’s victim may be the other’s perpetrator.
While there’s damning evidence that Mazari died at the hands of his cheating wife, a phantom Internet veterans’ charity–the same one that wiped out the heart attack victim’s bank account–keeps cropping up at every turn of Jackson’s investigation. When an identical murder claims the victim’s best friend, Jackson suspects a motive darker and more devastating than infidelity, greed, or love turned lethal.
***
“A good mystery, action-packed, with an unexpected solution, populated with interesting characters: What more could one ask?”–Crimespree magazine
“Liars, Cheaters & Thieves is the best thriller I’ve read in 2011. This is the fifth book in a series, but really, the books have such a great story line, that they are standalones. One of the best things about an L.J. Sellers book is I have yet to figure out the ending. This book deserves more than 5 stars, and man did she hit it out of the park with this one!” –Shelia Matthews, reviewer
“L.J. Sellers is one of the few authors I’ve read who just gets better with every book.”–Peg Brantley, author of Red Tide
Wrongful Death by L. J. Sellers
March 31, 2015 by Sandra Parshall
Wrongful Death by L. J. SellersBy Sandra Parshall
When L. J. Sellers isn’t writing the fast-paced, complex novels that have made her a name in the crime fiction world, she devotes a lot of time to Housing Help, a foundation she created to prevent homelessness. She combines her two passions in WRONGFUL DEATH, a compelling story that explores a unique aspect of the Detective Wade Jackson series setting: the lives of the homeless in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon, and their vulnerability when the police start looking for a killer in their midst.
WRONGFUL DEATH, available now, is the tenth entry in the Jackson series—a two-time Readers Favorite Award winner.
Sellers hopes that while she entertains her readers she can also show them homeless people are “individuals with unique personalities and circumstances.” She cautions against the common tendency to lump all of them together under one stereotype. “Everyone has a different story about how they ended up on the streets. Some are there for life. For others, it’s a temporary setback.”
The more fortunate citizens who support those on the streets also have their own stories to explain their commitment. She drew on both communities to create the characters in WRONGFUL DEATH.
The novel begins with the murder of a police officer who is passing out blankets to the homeless on a cold night. The primary suspects are homeless people, including a couple of brothers with mental health problems. Sellers is aware that some people feel afraid of street people, viewing them as potentially dangerous, and she realized she was tackling a sensitive and complex issue.
“Statistically,” she says, “much more violent crime is committed by ‘ordinary’ people who live in houses than by people who don’t have houses. A homeless person is much more likely to be murdered by someone—such as a teenager looking for a thrill—than commit an act of violence himself. But many homeless people are mentally ill, so yes, there is always a risk for violence from certain types of mentally ill people.”
The real-life relationship between the homeless and the police is fraught with conflict, and Sellers understands why street people are wary of law enforcement. “Unfortunately,” she says, “there are at least a few bad cops in every department—so everyone has a right to be wary of the police. But minorities and the disenfranchised are more entitled because they don’t have the resources or the credibility to fight back. I don’t mean to sound anti-police. Most officers are terrific people, doing a difficult job. But here in Eugene, we’ve had police officers found guilty of sexual coercion, abuse, and theft, so I write about law enforcement in a way that shows both sides.”
Her protagonist is one of the good cops, and she modeled him after two men in her life. “Jackson is mostly a combination of the first detective I interviewed and my husband—the most morally correct person I’ve ever known.”
Many of Jackson’s personal problems, though, have been inherited from the author. “I’ve given Jackson all the same issues I’ve had to deal with—divorce, financial difficulties, series health issues, and difficult choices about raising children while being committed to a career that defines him. That keeps him real—someone readers can relate to.”
Although WRONGFUL DEATH is the tenth book in the series, Jackson hasn’t changed a lot because the compressed time frame covers only a couple of years in his life. He has, however, become more dedicated to his family, and he has realized that commitment to loved ones doesn’t have to mean sacrificing his career. His core qualities remain the same. “What I like best about him,” Seller says, “is his integrity and his willingness to question his own decisions. The only thing that bothers me is his waffling about his girlfriend and his attraction to another detective. But I do that to please my readers, who are split between which woman he should end up with.”
In addition to the Jackson books, which are told mostly from the male viewpoint, Sellers writes the Agent Jamie Dallas series. She enjoys both and has no trouble switching between male and female voices. “The two characters are fundamentally different, which is why I had to write the Dallas series—for the fun and challenge of a completely different perspective. But I don’t think gender is a big part of that difference. Jackson is more sensitive than most men, and Dallas is more confident and less family oriented than most women, so neither represents a stereotypical gender type. Still, I believe men tend to be more decisive and less self-critical than women, and I keep that in mind when writing both characters.”
Seller plans her complex plots in advance and sticks with her original vision to avoid getting derailed. “I’m surprised when other mystery authors tell me they have no idea who did it when they start writing,” she says. “When I plot, I start with motive, and once I determine the motive, only one character can have that particular motive.” That doesn’t mean she never lets the story surprise her. “I always allow for new twists and turns as I’m writing. But in terms of who committed the murder, or other crimes, that doesn’t change.”
Many authors have to more or less withdraw from the world in order to finish their books on time. How does Sellers fit community volunteer work with Housing Help into her extremely busy writing schedule? “I honestly don’t know,” she admits, “except to say that I’m an energetic person who likes to keep busy. And I have another, wonderful, person who helps me with the foundation because he knows how busy I am.”
Currently Sellers is writing a standalone thriller that she says is “different from, and more challenging than, anything else I’ve ever done.” After that? Jackson #11, then most likely another Dallas story.
*****
LJSellersL. J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series—a two-time Readers Favorite Award winner—as well as the Agent Dallas series and provocative standalone thrillers. Her 16 novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and she’s one of the highest-rated crime fiction authors on Amazon. L. J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where many of her novels are set and is an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. She’s also the founder of Housing Help, a charity dedicated to keeping families from becoming homeless. When not plotting murders or working with her foundation, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
To learn more about L. J., please visit her website.
Crimes of Memory by L.J. Sellers
September 30, 2013 by ITW
Crimes of Memory medBy Robert Rotstein
L.J. Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery series—a two-time Readers Favorite Award winner—as well as provocative standalone thrillers. Her novels have been highly praised by reviewers, and her Jackson books are the highest-rated crime fiction on Amazon. L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where her novels are set and is an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.
In CRIMES OF MEMORY, the eighth in her Detective Jackson series, Jackson returns to the Eugene, Oregon Police Department after a leave of absence resulting from a personal tragedy. He’s immediately assigned to investigate the homicide of a man who lived in a storage unit. Another homeless man is on the scene, his face covered in blood. Jackson soon learns that the murder victim was involved in an old bank robbery that hasn’t been fully solved. While Jackson is off investigating the crime, his troubled daughter runs away from home. Without a full taskforce, distracted with worry, Jackson must work the homicide around the clock.
Across town, a firebomb explodes at a bottled water factory. Undercover FBI agent Jamie Dallas suspects a violent eco-terrorist group of committing the crime and fears that the group is about to strike again.
In the course of investigating the homicide, Detective Jackson discovers a shocking connection between the murder and the eco-terrorist crimes.
Tell us a little about yourself.
The bio will tell you most of it. I love to ride, dance, swim, and keep moving…when I’m not sitting and writing. I also have a big family and lots of people in and out of my house all the time, as well as a zillion friends and promotional to-do lists—so my days are hectic. But I love everything about my life.
Give us an elevator pitch for CRIMES OF MEMORY.
A murdered ex-con, an eco-terrorist group with escalating violence, and a runaway daughter collide into chaos—pushing Jackson to his personal limit.
Would you describe CRIMES OF MEMORY as a thriller, a mystery, or both? What’s the difference?
The story is definitely both, as most of my Jackson stories are. The mystery element is the unexplained death that Jackson must investigate and solve. The thriller element is the escalating eco-terrorist attacks and the tension created by the uncertainty about whether the FBI can stop them. And that’s the basic difference as well.My favorite crime stories combine the genres.
Describe your protagonist, Detective Wade Jackson.
I can tell you what’s he’s not: a hard drinking, pill-popping, bitter burnout who can’t get along with his boss—a popular mode for cops in fiction. I wanted a character that I respected and could get inside his head for months and years at time. So Jackson is a by-the-book family man who works too hard. At home he builds three-wheeled motorcycles for fun and drives a midnight-blue 69 GTO that he restored himself. But he never seems to have enough time for fun.
CRIMES OF MEMORY is the eighth in the Detective Jackson series. How do you manage to keep your character so fresh and interesting?
I just keep giving him the same challenges that I (and everyone else face): money issues, housing issues, health problems, blended-family problems, and a troubled teenager. And based on events really happening in Eugene, his job keeps evolving too: the violent crimes division got hit by budget cuts, and the sheriff’s department is so underfunded they can’t keep anyone in jail. All of these things force him to adapt.
CRIMES OF MEMORY is set in Eugene, Oregon.What role does the city play in your novel?
Eugene plays a role only in that I write stories about issues that are pertinent here and the people that populate it.But I don’t focus on the town unless it’s relevant to the plot. In the real world, most crimes have nothing to do with location and everything to do with motivation.
Throughout the novel, Detective Jackson is torn between obligations to his family and job responsibilities. What interests you about that conflict?
Everything! This is my primary conflict. In fact, since feminism encouraged women to pursue careers, the struggle between work and family has been the major stressor in most women’s lives. But men are becoming more-involved fathers and face that struggle now too. Jackson is a dedicated single-father, but his job is his identity, it’s all he’s ever done. So this conflict is his primary internal struggle too.
Your novel deals with eco-terrorism. Is this based on real-life events?
It is! The Earth Liberation Front, which destroyed millions of dollars of property in the Northwest back in the early 90s, had a cell here in Eugene. The FBI here —a ten-person office—spearheaded the investigation. I interviewed the agent who was in charge, and he gave me great insight and detail. In my story, the new eco-terrorist group patterns themselves after the old ELF.
One of your characters in CRIMES OF MEMORY is undercover FBI Agent Jamie Dallas. Do you have future plans for her?
Agent Dallas and her undercover persona were so much fun to write, I knew she needed her own story, probably her own series. So I just finished writing the first book featuring her as the protagonist. It’s called THE TRIGGER, and she goes undercover to infiltrate a heavily armed prepper group in Northern California. She also gets to travel and that will be fun for me too.
Aside from Detective Jackson, do you have a favorite character in CRIMES OF MEMORY?
I introduced Agent River, another new character, in RULES OF CRIME (Jackson #7), and she comes back in CRIMES OF MEMORY to head the taskforce tracking the eco-terrorists. I love this agent because she’s unique—a transgender, who used to be a man. But more important, I love River’s Zen philosophy and the inner peace she’s finally found by becoming who she needs to be.
Do you identify most with a particular character in the novel?
That’s tough to say. There’s a little bit of me in everybody. Agent Dallas is who I fantasize about being, but Sophie, the reporter, is a lot like me. And in my other books that feature Detective Evans, she represents yet another major factor in my complex personality.
CRIMES OF MEMORY is written in multiple points of view. Do you decide in advance who your point of view characters will be? More generally, are you a “plotter” or a “planster?”
I usually know in advance who my POV characters will be and have a rough outline of the story. I don’t leave home without a map (or GPS) when I go on a road trip, and I don’t start writing a story unless I know basically how it ends. I prefer not to get lost in the middle.
The clichéd piece of advice for aspiring writers is “write what you know.” Do you agree?
It’s much more fun to explore and research and write about things you want to learn. If you have a background in law, then why not make your character a DA or investigator…with a background in law. For sure, use what you know for background. But write about what interests you.
What’s next for Detective Jackson? For L.J. Sellers?
I’m currently writing Jackson #9, which is going great. In this story, his life has the potential to radically change, and I think readers will love it. As soon as I’m finished with that one, I’ll start the second book in the Agent Dallas series—if the first one is selling well and readers ask for more.
*****
“In CRIMES OF MEMORY, she pits unforgettable characters against a brilliant plot. Put this on your A-list! Then go search out the rest of the series.”—Peg Brantley, bestselling mystery author
*****
LJSellers medL.J. Sellers is a native of Eugene, Oregon, the setting of her thrillers. She’s an award-winning journalist and bestselling novelist, as well as a cyclist, social networker, and thrill-seeking fanatic. Her novels featuring Detective Jackson include THE SEX CLUB, SECRETS TO DIE FOR, THRILLED TO DEATH, PASSIONS OF THE DEAD, DYING FOR JUSTICE, LIARS, CHEATERS & THIEVES, and RULES OF CRIME. In addition, she’s penned three standalone thrillers: THE BABY THIEF, THE GAUNTLET ASSASSIN and THE SUICIDE EFFECT. When not plotting murder, she’s also been known to perform standup comedy and occasionally jump out of airplanes.
To learn more about L.J., please visit her website.
Rules of Crime by L.J. Sellers
February 28, 2013 by Jeremy Burns
By Jeremy Burns
Veteran author LJ Sellers is poised to unleash her tenth thrilling novel upon the world – RULES OF CRIME. The seventh in her bestselling Detective Jackson series, RULES OF CRIME combines intriguing characters with riveting plot twists to create another solid police procedural that will appeal to longtime fans and new readers alike. She took time out of her busy writing schedule to sit down with THE BIG THRILL and discuss her writing and her latest book.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve spent most of my life as a journalist and editor, working for newspapers, magazines, and an educational publisher. So I’ve been writing and publishing since college. But I didn’t start writing fiction until I was 30, and it took me 20 years to break in, and I did that by going around the wall and self-publishing. I’m tenacious and don’t take no for an answer.
Personally, even though my vocation is sedentary, I’m energetic and a compulsive exerciser, with biking being my main activity. And the scenery couldn’t be more beautiful because I live in Eugene, Oregon, one of the best places on earth…beside Maui.
Tell us about your new thriller, RULES OF CRIME.
Here’s the short description: His ex-wife is kidnapped for ransom, and a college girl is beaten and dumped at a hospital—disparate crimes that challenge Detective Jackson to dig for the shocking secret they share. As the ransom goes horribly wrong and the suspects refuse to crack under interrogation, Jackson fears that his ex-wife will be lost forever and that their daughter, Katie, may never forgive him.
This is the seventh book in your Detective Jackson Mystery series. What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in writing a series versus writing your standalone thrillers?
Writing a police procedural series is comfortable. I know the characters and I have a basic investigative structure to work within. So the challenge is to make each story unique and unexpected. I do that by focusing on different kinds of crime, not just murder, and by bringing forward different point-of-view characters in every story. I also introduce new characters, such as FBI Agent Carla River in RULES OF CRIME. The challenge in writing a standalone thriller is the exact opposite. I have to create everything from scratch. But that’s also what’s fun about standalones—stretching my creativity.
What makes Detective Jackson particularly engrossing and/or unique as a series character?
Readers like him because they relate to him. He has all the same problems they do: work/family balance, money struggles, an ex-spouse, and health issues. But he consistently rises above all that to do his job, often giving up food and sleep, to round up suspects while the leads are fresh. He’s dedicated, compassionate, and smart. But he’s also human, and he sometimes misses things when he’s tired or overwhelmed.
What was your initial inspiration for RULES OF CRIME? How did the story’s premise develop through the early days of your writing process?
Several things came together to inspire this novel. I wanted to write a story involving the FBI because I hadn’t done that yet, and here in Eugene, the agencies often work in tandem. In addition, I was angry and frustrated with hazing crimes that lead to the death of a young person who just wants to belong. After bouncing those ideas off each other, I found the connection that made the parallel stories come together.
What are some of the ways you’ve conducted research for this novel? Any interesting stories there?
My primary research was to interview a local FBI agent and get specific details about how he handles kidnapping cases. I also spent time online researching hazing incidents. That was the most disgusting research I’ve ever done. Some of the things that young women do to each are unspeakable. The incident in the novel may seem extreme, but it’s less harsh than other hazing crimes that happened in real life.
How much of yourself do you put in your characters? With which character in RULES OF CRIME do you most identify?
There is a little bit of me in almost all my characters—one of the advantages of having multiple personalities. In some ways, I identify the most with Detective Lara Evans. She’s energetic, passionate, and impulsive, and not afraid to kick ass or get dirty. I explored her character in detail in both DYING FOR JUSTICE (Jackson #5) and THE GAUNTLET ASSASSIN (a standalone thriller). I also relate to Sophie Speranza, a newspaper reporter, because she’s so curious, determined and gutsy.
Which character was the most fun for you to write? Why?
In this story, I introduced Agent Carla River, who likes to be called River. She is one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever created, but she’s not much like me at all. She’s transgendered, so it was fascinating to get inside her head. But I tried to keep that aspect of her life low key. River is also physically inactive and somewhat spiritual and zen-like—other characteristics very different from me. So it was fun to really get outside my own thinking to create her.
You’ve had a considerable amount of success in the indie publishing world before making the transition to Thomas and Mercer for this latest book. How did you get your start in indie publishing, and what has the transition been like?
I self-published the first story featuring Jackson, THE SEX CLUB, back in 2007 when indie publishing was not only uncool, it was also very expensive because of the cost of offset print runs. Then I was picked up by a small press, which made me slightly more legitimate but gave me no hope of earning money. So in 2010, when ebooks started to sell well on Kindle, I left my publisher and put everything I had written up on Amazon. I marketed full-time for six weeks, then soon started making a living. In 2011, I kept writing and promoting like crazy, and my readership kept growing. Last May, Amazon Publishing offered to buy all my backlist titles and contract for two more stories. The backlist versions came out last month, and it’s been such a relief to have Amazon doing a lot of marketing. I had been under an enormous amount of pressure, and it’s great to not shoulder the whole responsibility anymore.
You’ve been known to do some standup comedy in addition to your writing. Do you try to inject your stories or dialogue with a sense of humor as well? If so, how does writing comedy differ from performing comedy in your experience?
I write a realistic and somewhat gritty crime series, so there isn’t much room for humor. But I do try to inject a little when I can, because law enforcement people do make jokes to keep their otherwise grim jobs from getting them down. Yet I’ve written three comedy screenplays, and believe me, writing humor is much more challenging that performing it. Mostly because written words lack the verbal tones and facial expressions that deliver most of a standup performance.
Other than RULES OF CRIME, what is your favorite book you’ve written? Why?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite But THE SEX CLUB will always be special because it launched the Jackson series and my career. It’s also a subject I feel very passionate about. I remember sometimes laughing out loud as I was writing and thinking: No one will ever publish this. To a certain extent, I was right. But it’s my bestseller and more readers have written to me—to express their pleasure—about THE SEX CLUB than any other books. THE GAUNTLET ASSASSIN is also a favorite because it’s so different than anything else I’ve ever written. Creating those competition scenes was wild good fun.
What is your favorite book by another author? Why?
Again, it’s so hard to pick just one. But I’ve always thought THE TOMORROW FILE by Lawrence Sanders (a futuristic thriller) is one of the most creative stories I’ve ever read. My husband, a nonreader, loved it too.
What is your favorite travel destination? Why?
Hawaii: It’s warm, beautiful, and a single flight away.
Your bio says that you’re an avid thrill seeker. What’s the most insane thing you’ve ever done in this vein?
I think skydiving qualifies as insane. But also, in the summer on a daily basis, I bike up big hills just for the joy of racing down as fast as I can. I’ve been known to pass cars on my bicycle as I try to get to the bottom without braking. And yes, I keep my will/testament updated regularly.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
Besides the creative process—the sheer joy of storytelling—I love hearing from readers who have enjoyed those stories. What could be better than providing other people with escapism pleasure?
What is one thing that would surprise your fans about you or your writing process?
At this point, I’m a pretty open book. I’ve shared my processes, joys, and heartbreaks publically along the way. What I rarely talk about is the fear of not being able to repeat my success. All writers experience it, but I refuse to indulge it. I simply tell myself to shut up, sit down, and write something. Also, despite my positive, extrovert personality, I’m prone to anxiety—much of which comes from raising three boys. So I spend a lot of time telling myself it’ll all be okay.
What advice would you give to new or aspiring authors looking to make a career in the indie publishing business and beyond?
Three things: 1) Get professional feedback on your work. 2) If your book is marketable, then make an investment in professional editing and formatting. 3) Get comfortable with promotion and make it as much a part of your life as writing is.
What can we expect next from you, and where can readers go to hear the latest news?
My next book is another Jackson story, which will be published early next year. In it, I introduce another new character, Agent Jamie Dallas. I had so much fun writing her part that I decided to base a standalone thriller on her, which I’m writing now. I also think she’ll be a great series character, so I may write two more Agent Dallas stories. And I plan to write at least two more Jackson stories. After that, I may run for the Senate.
A tremendous thank you to L.J. Sellers for taking the time to share her insights with us. Make sure to check out RULES OF CRIME for Detective Jackson’s most riveting and personal adventure yet.
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L.J. Sellers is a native of Eugene, Oregon, the setting of her thrillers. She’s an award-winning journalist and bestselling novelist, as well as a cyclist, social networker, and thrill-seeking fanatic. Her novels featuring Detective Jackson include THE SEX CLUB, SECRETS TO DIE FOR, THRILLED TO DEATH, PASSIONS OF THE DEAD, DYING FOR JUSTICE, LIARS, CHEATERS AND THIEVES and RULES OF CRIME. In addition, she’s penned three standalone thrillers: THE BABY THIEF, THE GAUNTLET ASSASSIN and THE SUICIDE EFFECT. When not plotting murder, she’s also been known to perform standup comedy and occasionally jump out of airplan